Posts Tagged ‘AAJU bAAju’

INDIA KA BOL BACHCHAN

It’s chatpata, complex and thoda crazy. It’s what gets the point across, gets us going and gets us together. In our republic of many languages, we celebrate the slang that belongs to no one but is loved by everyone

CHAUD: Possessing, or claiming to possess, alpha-male character “Don’t show so much chaud. Even a horror movie like The Babadook will make you cry.”

Chep/Chipkoo: Clingy, someone who tries to cling on to another person “I was planning to go to the movies, but now this guy has come over and is refusing to leave. He’s a total chep.”

CHILLAR: Loose change, expendable, superfluous, unimportant “Don’t bother about all these people who aren’t coming for the hiking trip, they’re basically chillar.”

Chirkoot: An underling or minion “You don’t have to send all the Thank You notes to all the clients yourself. Just get some chirkoot to do it.”

CHOP/JHAND/BAND: Something that goes wrong. Very, very wrong “I thought Star Wars and Star Trek are the same. Meri toh chop hi ho gayi in front of that cute guy.” Or “I dropped the bowl of gravy on my white shirt during the team dinner. Full jhand, I tell you.” Or “My dad caught me smoking last night. Mera toh band baj gaya.”

Cut to Cut: To the point, precise “This man is all business and knows what he needs out of you. Ekdum cut to cut hai.”

dAAndi mArnA/kAlti MARNA: To bunk

work or school “This was the week just before Diwali. There would be lots of work to finish. So of course, usne daandi mari.”

dhAAsu: Awesome “Yaar, Shah Rukh’s last film was so dhaasu, I saw it five times!”

BHAIYYA/BOSS/ANNA/DADA:

Terms used in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata respectively for autowallahs, shopkeepers, canteenwallahs, and just about every other person on the road. “Bhaiyya/boss/anna/dada, will you go to Connaught Place/Mahim/ Mount Road/Park Street?”

Dhakkan: Stupid “Ranbir and Ranveer are not the same person, dhakkan!”

Dheel: Ease up “He’s new, from a small town and just learning how to talk to women. Thoda dheel de.”

kuch bhi: Like, whatever “She says that she got that foreign accent from spending her summer at Maasi’s house in Birmingham. Kuch bhi!”

LAFDA: A murky affair. Sometimes just an affair “He comes home late, leaves early, has been spending all his time on the phone and yesterday I saw him browsing for ‘best kissing tips’. Some lafda is on.”

lapet/Jhaap: To hear a yarn “Sure, you went to the US and were walking towards the White House when Obama stopped and said, ‘Chal, I’ll drop you’? Lapet! Lapet!”

le khaa parle-g: Heckling someone who hasn’t understood an adult joke “You didn’t get what the Sardar said to the rabbi after he came out of the Irishman’s bedroom? Le khaa Parle-G.”

HaanJi:

Yes. Very versatile, can be used in all sorts of situations with all sorts of intonations, even as a standalone sentence on its own “Haanji? (Question)” “Hello! Haanji! (Hello!, What’s up?)” “Haanji??!! (Anger)” “Haanji (Agree)”

Locha: A mix up “Ordered using five per cent off on debit card at the sale, with a coupon code and a voucher. I think locha ho gaya!”

MaaLdaar party: Moneyed people “For Diwali, our new neighbours didn’t just give us sweets, but a crystal diya and a silk shawl too! Maaldaar party hogi.”

Mach Mach: Pointless cribbing “Listen, let’s get everyone to pay in advance and only then buy those film tickets. So there is no mach mach about someone being left out.”

off hona/ tapak jana: To die “There used to be lots of gangsters in this area, but one by one, sab tapak gaye.”

o teri: Random exclamation “O teri! You haven’t had any lunch?” Or “O teri! A pair of shoes for six grand!”

pachchka: Insult, a feeling of being duped (not to be confused with the Kolkata street food) “You came all the way to this party because you thought you’d meet her? Dude, tera pachchka ho gaya. She wasn’t even invited.”

pakau: Dull and annoying “Best not to be home between 8pm and 10pm. Or you’ll be stuck in the living room with your aunt and her pakau TV shows.”

saLtao: To solve or resolve “If you’re not getting along with your seniors, just saltao it here. Don’t wait for the college principal to hear about it.”

satak: To scoot

“Sure you can sit comfortably in the ladies seats, but if women enter the bus, then satak.”

scene: Programme; also, situation, mostly of a not-so-platonic nature “What’s the scene for tonight?” Or “What’s the scene between Rahul and Rani, heh? *wink*”

senti: Unnecessarily emotional “Don’t be so senti, you’ll find a dress that fits you in the next shop.”

shaana: A wise guy “We know what you’re capable of and what you aren’t. Don’t try to be a shaana.”

shaanpatti: Being a smartypants “The intern told us he didn’t want to work weekends, wanted his own cubicle and refused to coordinate with other interns. I told him to take his shaanpatti to another company.”

shendi Lagaana/ topi pehnana: To make

a fool of “My phone company tries to charge me for calls to countries I’ve never even heard of. This is total shendi lagaana.”

suMdi Mein: Secretly “We all thought he was gay, you know? But sumdi mein he went and married his neighbour.”

sutta: A loose cigarette “Where is he?” “Stepped outside, looking for a lighter for his sutta.”

taLLi: Drunk “I had so much to drink last night. Full talli I was.”

tapLi: A tap on the head, usually in censure “He wants to go to Russia in January? Give him one tapli, he’ll be fine.”

in a soup “We all took off for a late lunch on the one day the man from head office dropped in. Vaat lag gayi, yaar!”

VeLa/Lukhkha: Jobless, not necessarily without a job, but without any productive work to do “What you up to?” “Nothing yaar, just sitting vela.” Or “Don’t be so vela in life. Go pay the electricity bills.”

Waanda nahi: No problem “You want a paint job, plasterwork, new fittings and wiring completed before this weekend? Waanda nahi.”

yeda ban kar peda khana: Playing the fool as part of your strategy and winning

Neka (bengaLi):

One who resorts to too much drama in daily conversation or to prove a point, usually in a whiny voice “That chick who talks like Sridevi gets on my nerves. Big time neka she is.” “If you don’t meet me today, I will never talk to you ever again. *pout*” “Oh, please! Don’t be such a neka!”